Time and Place
by Here'sWaldo
Summary: Freddie has not seen Sam since she left Seattle abruptly two years ago. Now they are in different cities and on different paths but it feels more right than it ever did. Multi-chap. M for mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Time and Place

Declaimer: I do not own iCarly nor am I profiting from this work.

Summary: Freddie hasn't seen Sam since she abruptly left Seattle two years before. Now they are in different places and on different paths but it feels right.

Snow drifted down from the sky earlier than usual for New England. There had been a freak blizzard a few days before and black snow lined both sides of the street. The pure white fluff that floated from the sky seemed to turn black the second it touched the earth mixed with dirt, mud and Boston. Fall was abruptly rushed out and winter was here. Cambridge was ugly in the winter. Thanksgiving was in three days and Freddie Benson didn't feel thankful about anything. He hated the city he was in, he hated college, he hated his friends and he hated the girlfriend who had just dumped him. He didn't hate her for the dumping rather the dumping came about because of his hatred.

In a foul mood, Freddie rushed past the security guard manning the desk of his dormitory and headed straight to his room. His roommate was sitting there figuring out the basics of quantum mechanics. He gave him a curt nod and went back to his book. It was his second year at MIT and Freddie seemed to get more miserable everyday. He had never been one to handle his misery with grace and he wasn't about to start now.

Freddie wasn't going to be able to go home for Thanksgiving. Nobody he knew was going home for Thanksgiving. Not even those who lived close by. Finals were coming up and that was all anyone could think or talk about. It was depressing. His sophomore year was turning out to be worse than his freshman year. People were becoming increasingly competitive for sought after positions as research assistants or interns. People would do anything to obtain one of those elusive "As" professors were so stingy about giving out. At this point last year Freddie had been no different. But, at that moment, he didn't care. Freddie logged onto his laptop with the intent of finishing a paper when he noticed an alert at the top of his homescreen. In that second his heart stopped.

_Freddie and Carly were sitting on her couch watching late night television and gossiping about the terrible dates they had just been on. _

"_That was the worst date I have ever had in my entire life." Carly said to him as she leaned against his arm. "He talked about wrestling all night and then made me pay!" _

"_Yeah, well I would kill for a date who cared about wrestling. Anything would be more interesting than dinner with that girl from my mother's church. She listed all of the ways I was going to hell and then wanted to make out." _

"_Did you?"_

"_Well, yeah I am a guy but I will not be calling her back." _

_ Carly laughed lightly and put her head on his shoulder. _

"_I still think my relationship with you was the easiest and sweetest relationship I have ever had. It shouldn't all be so hard." Carly said lightly. Freddie nodded in agreement. This wasn't the first time Carly had said something like this. Lately, they would both hint about their past frequently. It had been easy and natural. No fighting. No excitement for a first date only to realize you had nothing in common. _

"_Well, it would be hard for things to go wrong in three days. But, yeah, it was sweet." Freddie responded still hoping to keep some distance between their words and reality. They were seniors in high school. Although grades still mattered both were guaranteed to get into colleges of their choice. Now was the time to just relax and have fun in a relationship. It wasn't the time for drama or angst. _

_ Without a moment's hesitation Carly reached up and kissed him. It was nice. Light and soft. Nothing too serious. He wouldn't mind doing it again. Neither would she. It seemed like without words they had reached an understanding. _

"_We should talk to Sam." Carly said with a light smile. _

"_Yeah, I think her only concern will be that you can do much better." Carly laughed in agreement with his words. Freddie and Sam had broken up sometime ago and he would be lying if he said there wasn't any lingering awkwardness there. But she had moved on and on and on. With each new boyfriend it seemed like she spent less time with both Freddie and Carly. Neither believed she had any feelings left over for Freddie. _

_ The talk wasn't as easy as they imagined. They cornered her while she was working a shift at Gibby's. Lately, it seemed like the only time she was in school was to work at Gibby's. She seemed to know before they even approached her. _

"_So, you two finally got that desperate, huh?" _

"_Sam. It isn't like that. It just kind of makes sense you know?" Carly said nervously. Freddie didn't say anything. Suddenly, for some reason, he had a lump in his throat. He wanted to be anywhere else. _

"_Yeah, when you have exhausted every other guy who will look at you the one left over does make sense." Sam responded but she was smiling and her words didn't have much bite. "Look, I figured it was just a matter of time before this happened. You two have been sniffing around each other for months. I don't know if you want my blessing or something but go for it. I am happy for you. I mean it."_

_ And with that she turned around before they could say anything else on the topic. They didn't see Sam for the next couple of days, which wasn't unusual. After a brief and inedible meal with his mother, Freddie spent Thanksgiving with Carly and Spencer. They cuddled as they watched movies and pretended they didn't notice Spencer's quiet disapproval. Suddenly, it all felt wrong and they didn't know why. _

_ Sam didn't show up for iCarly the next day. Carly attempted to do it herself with the assistance of Baggles but it didn't work. And they shut It down early. They both decided to rush over to her house and demand an explanation for her rudeness. Really, they both missed her. No one answered the door and the lights were all off . But Freddie still had his key from when he used to sneak over there at night, after his mother tucked him in. They entered with the plan of waiting in her bedroom until she got home. Freddie hoped with all of his heart that she came home alone. _

_ But her room was in disarray. More than normal. Her closet door was open but all that was in there were some empty hangars and old converse sneakers. Her small collection of books, that nobody other than Freddie even knew she had, were all gone. The spot on the shelf where she kept her nunchucks was empty. Her PearPhone was laying on her unmade bed. _

"_SAM! Sam is that you? You are in so much fucking trouble…" Freddie and Carly turned to the voice screaming behind them. _

_ With the stealth of a lagoon monster, Pam Puckett appeared behind them. She smelled of booze and looked as though she had recently crawled out of a gutter. _

"_Shit, kids, you can't do this to a woman. I thought you were Sam." _

"_Where is she?" _

"_Gone. She… told me she was leaving and we fought. After all of those years of arrests and juvie I really thought she turned a corner. I let myself think she would graduate high school. Maybe do something with her life. But I was wrong. She is just like her father. She broke my heart." _

"_What do you mean gone?" Carly screeched. "You have to know where she went."_

"_You know I have done a lot of things I am not proud of. I have been with married men, married women, priests, all sorts of convicts, but there is a line you don't cross, kiddo. You don't go after a friend's guy." But Pam's voice, slightly slurred from the alcohol, didn't have any recriminations. She didn't seem angry or upset with them. _

"_What? No. It isn't like that." Carly insisted. "That was months ago. She doesn't even like Freddie as a person anymore. She said it was OK." _

"_You kept her out of trouble for years. You fed her and gave her a safe place because some of those guys I hung out with weren't the best. Some of those guys… some of those guys I shouldn't have let near my daughters… But you gave her a safe place. I will always be grateful for that." Pam said resigned. "She would have left eventually, anyway. If it wasn't this it would be something else. I always knew she would leave, eventually." _

"_She said it was OK." Carly insisted again with more ferocity. She was crying and Freddie didn't totally understand why. This couldn't be real. It wasn't real. Sam was having one of her massive overreactions but she would come back. She would get her way. They wouldn't date anymore. They would do whatever she wanted to make it right. Just like they always did. _

"_She is just like her father. All of that charm. Even when you know better they make you think this time will be different. But the second things get a little too tough they take off. It isn't your fault. She is just like her father." Pam's words became more slurred as tears mixed with the alcohol. _

_She didn't come back. Freddie stubbornly insisted on dating Carly for another two months. Just to teach the non-existent Sam a lesson. Just as stubbornly he refused to ever take part in another iCarly. Slowly, they drifted apart. It all felt wrong without Sam. Not even because of their increasing sense of the betrayal they committed. Their time together just wasn't as fun without Sam there. _

Two years ago, almost to the day, he had set up a Google alert for the name Sam Puckett. During that time a man named Sam Puckett, who was benefiting from Freddie's own web developing skills, was quite active. Flooding Freddie with alerts constantly. But never her. That morning had been different. It was a link to a blurb in the Village Voice about a small group of improv comedians, connected with the Upright Citizen Brigade, doing a show in the Lower East Side in New York. There was a photo attached. Sam Puckett, his Sam Puckett, doing a mock gangster pose surrounded by three other people. New York City. A four hour drive from where Freddie was sitting right now.

She had left them on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. She had left her phone laying on her unmade bed, leaving them no way to call her and no way to trace her. She had deleted her Twitter and Splashface accounts. She didn't respond to e-mails. Suddenly she had just disappeared. And now, just as suddenly, she had reappeared. Two years later and apparently pursuing a career in comedy in New York City. Freddie believed it was fate. And he knew any talk of fate would get him laughed at by the soon to be scientists, engineers, and tech geniuses that surrounded him. Abandoning those precious study hours granted by Thanksgiving break would be inconceivable to them. He went to the Daschund website and booked a bus to New York City.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews and the favorite story notifications. It means a lot to me since I am so new to the fandom. You guys are awesome. **

**So, there isn't going to be much talking about what happened in the past in this chapter. It just doesn't feel right for them to actually discuss anything. They seem to just let it bubble under the surface. I assure you that it will be addressed in the future. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly nor am I profiting from this work. **

Traveling by bus from Boston to New York the day before Thanksgiving was hell. Despite the cold outside, the bus was hot and cramped making it impossible for Freddie to study. And he kept regretting his choice to travel to New York. What would he say to her? What would she say to him? What if she hurt him? Doubts continued to plague him as he made his way to the small club Sam was performing in.

The club was small and intentionally decorated to look like a dive bar from the 1950s. Except dive bars in the 1950s didn't offer fourteen-dollar martinis and ten-dollar beer. It was filled with trendy hipsters who all seemed to want to be anywhere else. He didn't actually recognize any of the beers on the list, his drinking was limited to the odd keg party, and so he picked the cheapest one available, not cheap enough for his tastes. He smiled when he realized he still used the fake ID Sam had given him in High School. She had made them for all three of them when they wanted to get into a twenty one and over concert.

"_Holy shit. I am going to see Sam tonight. Holy shit."_ Was a constant refrain in his mind.

"I don't even know why they bother with these things. The comedy scene in New York is so over. It is like no one is really real for real you know?"

"I was thinking the same exact thing."

Freddie settled into the back of the club and listened to the two people next to him and wondered why anyone would go to an event they seemed to have such disdain for. Listening to the various shades of douchebag that surrounded him kept him entertained until the lights dimmed and someone took the stage. It was a skinny young comedian who performed joke after joke with no context. Freddie thought some of his stuff was hilarious but the crowd just seemed to grow more convinced that the comedy scene was dead in New York.

And then Sam came on. Just Sam. And it all came back. Over the past two years he had thought about certain aspects of her constantly. On days when he hated her for leaving he remembered an evil bully. On days when he missed her by his side he remembered an affectionate girlfriend. On days when he felt he couldn't do anything to keep up with his work he remembered a lazy slob who always seemed to get by on a fraction of the effort. They very rarely coalesced into one complete human being in his mind. But there she was. She was a complete complex human person who actually existed. What the hell did he have to say to this real human being? He considered leaving until she started to speak and then he couldn't have left if he wanted to.

"So, here is the deal. My improv group, Awkward Compliment, is performing. This guy Chet was supposed to open for us but his girlfriend caught him hooking up with some guy and now he is in the hospital. You guys would have hated him and I know how much you all enjoy hating. So, I am sorry you will miss that. But I am going to stand here and talk for about fifteen minutes. And you will laugh because I am funny. And because you are all here the night before Thanksgiving because you don't have families that love you. So you need to feel better about your selves for a little while. Then my group will perform. And you will laugh more."

With that speech, Sam began to talk. She didn't really tell jokes or put any effort into making people laugh. She just talked. She told stories about her mother's boyfriends and unsuccessful beauty regimens. Stories about her uncles and cousins and their difficult relationships with the police. She told stories about this guy she dated in high school who had an insane mother, which made him smile broadly. She told a story about this guy she dated after high school who wore women's underwear, which made him want to blow his brains out. Mostly it was like an afternoon in Carly's living room. Except he had to share her with fifty people all transfixed. They laughed because she was funny. But, more than that, they loved her. They loved her for not caring whether or not they loved her. They loved her for just being honest. They loved her for her beauty and… and maybe he was transferring some of his feelings onto the crowd.

But in that moment he got how Sam turned her _abnormality_ into her greatest strength. It is what fueled her humor, her outlook, her ability to captivate people. He had known he was in love with her since long before she kissed him in that lock-in. He had never known why until that moment. He had been an idiot.

She talked for about twenty-five minutes and then her improv group came on. There were three guys of varying sizes and Sam. All of them were very funny and he enjoyed it very much. The crowd enjoyed it, too. But it wasn't as magical as Sam speaking to the crowd. Not for him anyway. Towards the end of the set, Sam was taking suggestions from the crowd to work into their routine as she scanned the room for usable suggestions her eyes locked with his. Freddie's heart stopped in that moment but he managed to give a half wave and smile. Sam quickly shrugged it off and went back to her set.

After the show was over Freddie rushed outside to the exit. He didn't want to miss Sam if she tried to run away from him. He needn't have worried. Somehow she was out there waiting for him with a smirk.

"That club can get some pretty lame customers but none have been this bad." Sam said by way of greeting.

"Uh… yeah… we are on a lame convention tour… for… uh… lame people." Freddie was a bit out of bantering practice.

"Is that where you learned that joke?" She asked but she opened her arms wide for a hug. Freddie didn't hesitate before pulling him into his arms and lifting her slightly off the ground.

"Sam. I can't believe it is you." He whispered into her hair before letting go.

"In the flesh, Fredward. Hey, these are my friends." Sam turned around to introduce him to her companions "Jake, Matt, and Fat Matt. Guys, this is Fredward Benson."

"Sup, man. Me and Fat Matt loved iCarly. Matt never heard of it." Jake said shaking his hand. "Coming to the bar with us?"

"Oh, I don't think."

"Freddie and I are going to go catch up. I will drink you guys under the table after dinner tomorrow." Sam answered. "Later." And with that Sam grabbed Freddie's hand and pulled him away from the club.

"Those guys are like Jewish grandmothers trapped in the bodies of thirteen year old girls. They gossip like it is their job. I figured we shouldn't be around them." Sam explained. "You want to grab a bite to eat? Or do you have to head back to school?"

"I don't have to be anywhere, at all. I would love to get some food or something." The butterflies in his stomach would make it impossible for him to eat. But he didn't want to let her out of his sight. Plus, if she suddenly remembered she hated him it would be better if she had food to keep her calm. "God, Sam, it is really good to see you. Like, really good."

"Yeah. People always enjoy seeing me. I get that a lot. Look, the night before Thanksgiving is kind of nuts around this area. College kids before a break, you know? Do you want to just come back to my place and order in?"

"YES. Uh… yeah. That sounds good. I guess."

He followed obediently to the subway and onto a car. The train wasn't too full but she stayed close to him as they chatted casually about very safe topics. What Freddie was studying in school, how long Sam had been doing comedy, how disappointing the Community finale had been. Sam led him off the train and onto another one. This second train was packed and smelled vaguely of urine. Sam was pressed tightly against him the entire time. As the train continued on its journey more and more people exited the train making seats available and Sam sure did love to sit. But she stayed pressed up against him. That moment in the crowded smelly subway car was the best moment he had had in two years.

Sam led him off the train and up into what looked like an industrial area. He assumed they weren't in Manhattan, anymore, but he had no idea where he was or really how they had gotten there. He had a vague notion that Sam might just abandon him there with no way to get home as revenge for kissing Carly those years ago. But she just led him up to what looked like a big factory. She ushered him into the front lobby where a sleep security guard gave her half a nod and then into an elevator.

As the elevator doors closed Sam shocked him by reaching up and pressing her lips against his. Freddie was startled and confused but he knew from past experience that failing to react to a kiss from Sam had disastrous consequences. So he wrapped his arms around her, pressed her against the side of the elevator and attacked her lips with his own. Sam gave a grunt of surprise at his escalation before nibbling his lips with her teeth and darting her tongue between his lips teasingly. Their sudden make out session was brought to an end by the elevator doors opening. They disentangled and Sam dragged him toward what he assumed was the door to her apartment.

"Welcome to my place." Sam whispered before giving him a peck on the lips and leading him into a large loft apartment.

"Sam, maybe we should talk about…"  
"Freddie, since when has talking ever lead us anywhere good?"

"Never." He responded.

"Exactly." Sam responded before pulling him into another scalding kiss.

Freddie still wasn't convinced this wasn't an elaborate revenge scheme that would leave him naked and abandoned in a random building. But he would be damned if he wasn't going to take that risk.


End file.
